One of the most intriguing questions in the boxing world is why different weights of gloves are available in the market. Each type of glove has a well-defined purpose, including sparring, bag, training, and competition gloves. Therefore, every boxer must know the different weights and purposes of each type of boxing glove.
Below is the importance of glove weights and their types, which will help you select the right glove according to your training, sparring, or fighting needs.
Importance Of Different Glove Weights
The weight of the boxing glove determines its impactfulness and suitability for different training and fighting styles.
- Protection
The padding density, hence the level of protection a glove provides, determines its weight. The weight of 14 oz and 16 oz gloves have more padding around the knuckles. The 12 oz gloves are the lightest ones due to less padding. Moreover, this additional protection keeps the boxers and sparring partners safe from the shocks during the boxing sessions in training or competition.
- Punching Speed
The boxers use 08 and 10-oz lighter gloves to increase agility and punching speed. These enable them to rule the ring as they find the light gloves’ advantage. These gloves are used for practicing on the bag and speed drills requiring quick hand movements. They help to improve hand-and-eye coordination as well as reflexes in the practitioner.
- Power
Heavy gloves help in developing punching power and strength. Training with heavier gloves of 14oz or 16oz requires more effort to move hands, which leads to higher muscle activation and power development in the long run. This resistance helps the growth of muscles used in punching, such as the shoulders, arms, and core.
- Sparring
14 oz and 16 oz of gloves are used for sparring in contrast to the intentional punching of a heavy bag or a competition where lighter gloves are preferred. The additional layer of padding in the sparring gloves reduces the impact of blows and makes the sparring partners absorb shocks generated by mighty strikes in sparing. The extra weight of the gloves gives the wearer the sense that they are wearing competition gloves.
- Competition
At the time of actual fights and competitions, the weight of the boxing gloves used by the boxers is determined by several factors, such as the rules of the respective governing body and the weight category into which the boxer falls. Professional fighters use lighter gloves, such as 8 to 10 oz, to attain maximum speed, agility, and impact with all their punches. It decreases the punching effect for beginning users so they can stay safe with their opponent even when the matches are very tense. Each of them is advised to wear a glove of 10 oz to 12 oz.
Punch speed, power, and hand protection are highly dependent on the weight of the boxing gloves; therefore, the correct choice of gloves should be considered for the trainee’s training needs and fight requirements. Lighter gloves help provide and maintain speed and agility, whereas heavier gloves protect the opponent and the fighters from injuries in the fights. Thus, carefully choose boxing gloves to maximize your performance and minimize injuries. If you can’t find the right one, you can design your own boxing gloves, but for this, you need a good manufacturer.
Understanding Various Types of Boxing Gloves
These are the differences between the types of boxing gloves:
Bag Gloves
These gloves are lighter in weight, ranging between 8 and 10 oz. These gloves are primarily used for hitting the punching bags and focus mitts. With the lighter padding density, these gloves mainly focus on developing the fighter’s punch speed, agility, and reflexes.
Sparring Gloves
The padding of the sparring gloves ranges from 14 oz to 16 oz, and thus they are heavier. The additional weight gives more soft padding and buffer between the trainer and the practitioner during training sessions.
Competition Gloves
Competition gloves are designed to be used in official fights and meet particular weight requirements set by sanctioning bodies. Gloves used in competition depend on the weight class and governing body. Pros use gloves ranging from 8 oz to 10 oz, and the amateurs prefer the 10 oz to 12 oz in the size category.
Training Gloves
These gloves are highly customizable as they can be tuned to meet the training goals and preferences of the boxer. They usually range between 12 oz. and 16 oz., providing a good balance of protection, speed, and power for different drills and exercises.
Are Heavier Gloves More Impactful?
The force of the punches in boxing depends on different factors like technique, speed, and the weight of the gloves. Though it could naturally seem that more weight in gloves will produce more powerful punches for their mass, the truth is different.
Heavier gloves offer extra padding around the knuckles and hands to spread out the impact force on a larger area. Therefore, the fighters do not experience the same “sharp and intense” impact on the landing compared to the lighter gloves. This padding will protect the partner and prevent injury to the person wearing the gear and the training sparring partner.
The weight of the heavy gloves makes boxers exert more energy to move their hands and produce power. While this brings greater muscle engagement and power development over time, it slightly reduces the speed of punches compared to lighter gloves.
| Glove Type | Weight Range (oz) | Intended Use |
| Bag Gloves | 8 – 12 | Punching Bags, Focus Mitts |
| Sparring Gloves | 14 – 16 | Sparring Sessions |
| Competition Gloves | 8 – 10 (Pro), 10 – 12 (Amateur) | Official Fights |
| Training Gloves | 12 – 16 | Various Training Drills / Practice |
So, the heavier gloves are not the guarantee for more powerful hits. They provide more protection, but throwing punches requires more effort. Consequently, boxers must develop the proper technique, timing, and power to hit the opponent effectively and forcefully, regardless of the glove weight used.
Final Thoughts
Variety in the weights of boxing gloves is vital in this combat sport to accommodate every boxer at the beginning stages of his/her career or fighting professionally. The lighter-weight bag gloves can help you increase speed and agility, while the heavier sparring gloves focus on protection and impact absorption. Therefore, choosing the correct weight for the gloves is very important because it makes it possible to perform at your best and reduce the risk of injury. Understanding that different glove weights have specific functions allows boxers to decide what to wear for training or sparring sessions.
Read more: Train Like a Champion | Best Exercises for Boxing
Tags: boxing, boxing gloves, Martial Arts
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